Members of COIN in Indianapolis brought together over 400 members of their community to do the "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" Simulation.

This summer communities around the
country have been rallying around refugees – holding events to raise awareness
and funds for those who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence
and persecution.

St. Peter’s Parish – Charlotte, NC

At St. Peter’s Parish in Charlotte,
NC, the church community’s youth wanted to do something about the refugees they
had seen and heard so much about in the news. So, they decided to learn more
and to raise awareness and funds for refugees. First, they set up a “Lemon AID” stand outside of the
Charlotte church, sold lemonate, and told people about the plight of refugees
and the work of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). More than 50 teenagers advocated
for refugees and raised $101 to be sent to JRS.

“The ‘Lemon AID’ stand is a concept
derived from the water station in the ‘Walk a mile in my shoes’ tool kit JRS
provides for communities to experience the life of refugees,” says Cathy
Chiappetta, Faith Formation Director at St. Peter Catholic Church and organizer
of the service week.

The also held a ‘Any Refugee Postcards’ activity to fill out
post cards to send to refugees as a gesture of hope and comfort. Through this
activity the teens realize how important it is to be positive for others

While the project helped the teens to
learn more about refugees, they were also able to teach others in the community
by giving out materials to read. “It was nice to show other children about
refugees and that there are problems in the world that we can’t necessarily
solve, but we can help,” says Katharyn Fenzl, one of teenage participants. Teenagers,
Chiappetta and Paul Fenzl were enthusiastic about the writing. “It felt good to
write postcards that could be positive for refugees instead of just watching
stories and talking about hard it is for them,” said Matthew.

Coalition for Immigrant Neighbors
(COIN) – Indianapolis, IN

Similar excitement was also shared among a community in
Indianapolis organized by the Coalition for Immigrant Neighbors (COIN) – a non-profit
that coordinates efforts of organizations working with and for immigrants and
refugees to create efficiencies filling any gap in service). In July, to raise
awareness in their community, in partnership with other faith-based and
advovcacy organization, COIN organized a “Walk
a Mile in My Shoes” Simulation.

The event
was attended by 450 people from around the Indianapolis area. The participants went
through the simulation that helped them to feel the frustration, disappointment,
and hopes refugees around the world face. The participants started by going
through the border entry point and moving along to the food, water, medical,
and education stations COIN set up based on the JRS “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”
Simulation tool kit. The event ended with advocacy awareness where participants
received information about supporting refugees in Indianapolis.

“My belief is if you meet a person or you walk in a person’s
shoes, they are no longer a ‘refugee’ or an ‘immigrant’ they are a person. That
is what we are trying to bring with this,” said Legal Clinic volunteer and COIN
Executive Director, Julie Sommers Neuman. She believes that the event helped
many who were not previously aware fully understand the plight faced by
refugees.